


Silver Chain

by ColbyPuppy



Series: Bitten [2]
Category: Octopath Traveler (Video Game)
Genre: Alfyn is a Werewolf, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Canon-Typical Violence, M/M, Self-Harm, Silver is bad for werewolves, description of injury, it's Alfyn, non-descript dead animal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:47:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27055930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ColbyPuppy/pseuds/ColbyPuppy
Summary: Leaving Clearbrook was a dream that Alfyn had all but given up on, until his lifelong friend Zeph gave him a gift and a push to pursue it. The simple silver necklace is hopefully just what he needs to keep his secret, after all for him it can be a matter of life and death should the Knights Ardante catch wind of his true nature.Alfyn has always been horrible at keeping secrets.
Relationships: Alfyn Greengrass & Zeph, Alfyn Greengrass/Therion
Series: Bitten [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1974661
Comments: 64
Kudos: 58





	1. The Gift

A gentle breeze blew- a small hint of cold on a late spring day. The sky was clear, the weather not yet too warm from the approaching summer, air filled with chirping birds and the soothing sound of the babbling river.

Clearbrook was as sleepy a town as ever. Alfyn let out a content sigh as he settled at his destination. "Hey, Ma, sorry I'm a bit late- but you shoulda seen me! Whipped up an antitussive elixir like ya wouldn't believe!"

The tombstone before him, sprigs of flowers and herbs carefully planted at the base in full bloom, did not answer. The plants waved in the wind.

"I think you'd be proud. Gettin' better at medicine every day." The young apothecary leaned back on his hands, his casual smile dropping just a bit. "I can't believe it's been a year now. Time sure flies, doesn't it?" He closed his eyes, taking in the sounds and smells around him. The graveyard itself was a quiet place, save for the birds and buzzing bees. Even so some sounds from town would drift up time and again. Distant conversations, the shouts of the local kids at play. There was the smell of cut grass from someone tending to the graves earlier, mingling with the clean scent the river brought. When he really focused like this, he could pick up the smell of baking bread from the tavern as well.

He opened his eyes again. "I'm gonna keep doin' ya proud, Ma. Still, I can't help but wonder... will I ever be as good as he was?" That stranger, all those years ago, a traveling apothecary unlike any other. The man who saved his life from the deadly disease that had claimed so many of their neighbors and friends- even though they had nothing to offer in return. Offering aid because it was the right thing to do. If only he could be like that too; traveling far and wide and saving lives...

It was a nice dream, but Alfyn had resigned himself to it staying that: a dream. He couldn't leave Zeph to care for the entire town and Nina all on his own, for one. He had his patients to think about, and friends he would miss. Of course, those reasons were small when compared to the one big reason he could never leave home. He had gotten better at controlling his transformations in the six years since he had been bitten but the simple truth was he still slipped up time to time. If he was caught turning into a wolf outside of Clearbrook he'd be hunted down. 

So that was that. Clearbrook was stuck with its resident werewolf apothecary.

"I thought I would find you here." Speaking of Zeph, there he was calling out behind him. He approached, plopping down in the grass at Alfyn's side. "Another busy day, yeah? Having you around really eases the burden. Now, if only I could convince you to stop handing out discounts." He elbowed Alfyn gently in the side, a smirk on his lips.

Alfyn rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, it's just, ya know Alice has her hands full supportin' old Alec as is. Didn't want to take what few leaves they have..."

Zeph patted his shoulder, "I know, I'm just teasing you. I would have been surprised if you didn't- you're the most generous guy I know." He pulled his apothecary satchel into his lap, leaning carefully on the bag.

"...you know, we've been close for a long time. Between you and your Ma taking Nina and I in, you're like family to me." He flipped open the pouch on his satchel, reaching inside. "And, I can tell, you want to leave our sleepy little village- don't you?"

"I, uh," Alfyn stared at Zeph. Was it really that obvious? He let out a defeated sigh. "Shucks, can't keep anythin' from ya can I? You don't have t' worry about me up and leavin' on ya, ain't like I'd get far anyway."

Zeph pulled a small bundle of cloth from his pack. "I know. That's why I got you this, if those old books I read are right it should help you control yourself better." He handed the bundle over.

Alfyn's eyes went wide. "Really? I thought nothing could be done-" he carefully unfolded the cloth with his gloved hand. Inside, glinting in the sun, was a slightly tarnished silver chain. He pulled it out, a simple locket dangling from the length. "A necklace?"

"Yeah, contact with silver is supposed to prevent the transformations." Zeph explained. He laughed nervously, "I admit it's a bit of a long shot. I'm not even sure if it's actually silver- I'm just trusting the traveling merchant I got it from was telling the truth."

Alfyn hummed, thinking as he inspected the chain. If this really did work it would ease the worries for the entire town. It wasn't really fair for him to count on everybody to cover for him for every passing traveler who thought they saw something strange. "Well, one way to find out, let's see here-" he struggled with the clasp for a moment before moving to secure the chain around his neck. He felt hyperaware of anywhere the cold metal touched bare skin- on the fingertips of his bare hand and against where the necklace rested around his neck. There was a tingling, tightening sensation that brought to mind the sensation caused by astringent herbs and fruits. A shiver went down his spine. It didn't feel pleasant- but if this was the key to controlling his transformations he could tolerate it.

Zeph watched expectantly. "You okay there? Is it working?"

Alfyn wiped off his fingers with the cloth as though that might get rid of the lingering sensation. "Hang on, I'll see. Think it is real silver at least, feels weird." He tucked the necklace under his shirt so that the metal was fully against his skin, the locket peeking through the cut of his shirt. 

"Weird?" Zeph frowned. "It doesn't hurt, does it?"

Before Alfyn could respond a frantic voice called into the graveyard. "Master Zeph? Master Zeph!"

Both apothecaries clamored to their feet, such level of alarm when people came calling for Zeph usually meant there was a medical emergency. Zeph called out in response "over here, what happened?"

The messenger ran up, panting, a grave look on his face. "It's, it's your sister."

Nothing more needed to be said, Zeph and Alfyn bolted back into town.

Nina whimpered, laying on top of the blankets in her bed. Sweat beaded on her forehead, her face flushed. Zeph kneeled at her bedside, taking stock of her symptoms as Alfyn looked on over his shoulder. Currently all they knew was that Nina's friend, Lily, had carried her into town in tears.

Zeph lifted up the hem of Nina's dress, frowning at his latest discovery. Her leg was badly swollen, puncture marks at the center of the swell. "This looks like a snake bite..." his voice wavered with worry and anger.

"She's been poisoned then..." Alfyn took another look at Nina's pained expression. "We have methods and treatments for venom, but unless we know the nature of the poison..."

"The wrong treatment will only make her worse. Damn it." Zeph ran a hand over his face, the other clenching at his side. "What manner of beast did this to Nina?!"

Alfyn rested a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Hey, sit tight, I'll go see if anyone saw anything."

Zeph nodded, and Alfyn hurried outside. The first person to ask was obvious, and thankfully not far away from Zeph's home. He spotted Lily sitting on some steps leading down to the river, the ten-year-old hugging her knees and sniffling.

Whatever had happened had left her shaken. Alfyn approached, taking a seat next to her on the steps. "Hey, Lily" he kept his voice soft and gentle.

"Alfyn!" Lily wiped away her tears, "Is- is Nina gonna be okay?"

Alfyn nodded, "she's in good hands. I was wondering if you saw anything when you two were playing together?"

Lily went quiet, biting her lower lip as she looked away.

"Anything at all. We're apothecaries, but we're not miracle workers." Alfyn leaned forward, trying to catch her eyes again. "Unless we know what bit her, our hands are tied."

Lily's eyes went wide as the realization set in. "We, we went to the cave, Nina wanted to pick waterblooms for her brother." She rung the hem of her dress in her hands. "We, we were picking flowers when- when there was a snake..."

"A snake- what did it look like? Was it black?" There were only a couple of venomous species that favored the caverns formed by the region's underground rivers. A water moccasin bite was unlikely to prove deadly- if that was what it was.

Lily shook her head, damn. 

Alfyn frowned, "don't tell me..." there was only one other species and it was bigger, meaner, and deadlier. "Was it orange, with blotches on its back?"

Lily gasped, "yeah! How did you know?"

This was bad. Alfyn pushed to his feet- he and Zeph needed to act fast. "Thank you, Lily, I should be able to help Nina now. You were very brave today, bringing Nina back to town all on your own. Your part is done, you can rest easy and we'll get her patched up I promise."

"Flame take me, a blotted viper?!" Zeph tried to keep his voice down, eyes darting to where Nina lied in her bed. "Right, then... we need a dose of one's venom, and fast." He threw his satchel over his shoulder, heading for the door with a hurried step.

Nina whimpered, gripping at the bedsheets. Alfyn stepped into Zeph's path. "Whoa, hang on a moment. Let me handle the venom- Nina needs you right now."

"Alfyn-" Zeph started to protest.

Nina cried out, weak and pained, pawing at the side of the bed. "Z...Zeph? Zeph?" When she found the side of her bed empty she became more alarmed.

Zeph was back at her bedside in an instant. "I'm here, Nina, what do you need?"

"Will, will you hold my hand?" Nina took in a shaky breath. "It hurts..."

Zeph gently took hold of her hand, "of course." He look over at where Alfyn watched on. "...are you sure you'll be alright?"

Alfyn nodded, "you can count on me! You two sit tight, I'll be right back with that venom!"


	2. Viper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enter one good thiefy boy.

Alfyn rushed out the door, slumped against the building, and let out a defeated grumble as he ran his hands over his face. Taking on the responsibility to hunt the snake had felt like the right thing to do- that he did not doubt. The problem was he had very little experience fighting monsters as, well, a human.

Going in teeth blazing as a wolf wouldn't work- as dangerous as the serpent was it was better for the town to have them around. Clearbrook was too small to have a proper town watch or guards, so they lacked defenses against the local beastkin tribes- froggens. Blotted vipers ate froggens, and the smaller snakes would eat their eggs and tadpoles. 

So the question was just how was he going to incapacitate a large, venomous monster snake without getting bit himself. 

"...are you alright there?" The soft spoken voice pulled Alfyn out of his thoughts. Before him was a stranger- a traveler he had not seen pass through town before. He was a good head shorter than Alfyn was, his body obscured by a fluffy but light purple poncho. A light purple scarf obscured the lower half of his face, one brilliant teal eye staring at him from a messy poff of white hair. The light colors stood in stark contrast to his brown skin, a combination of a naturally dark hue and a sun-kissed complexion from long days in the sun.

Alfyn forced a smile and waved, "ah- hiya. To be completely honest, no, we have a bit of a situation goin' on right now." He pushed himself away from the wall, scratching at his face. "My friend's little sister got a nasty snake bite, so now I have a date with a snake so that we can make an antidote."

"Hmm..." The stranger hummed, looking him over. "...and you don't have experience with handling monsters."

"I don't. Zeph- he's the other apothecary- normally he deals with the monsters but it's his sister who got bit so..." Alfyn let out a defeated sigh, hand moving from his face to the back of his neck, wincing lightly when the action pressed the silver chain into his skin. "The longer I stand here tryin' to puzzle out what to do the more time I lose too, blotted viper bites are deadly untreated..."

The stranger stared at him for another moment, then nodded. "Well then, we better stop wasting time then. I have some experience in fighting monsters."

"Shucks, really? You'll help me out?" Alfyn genuinely beamed. "Thank you so much, the name's Alfyn by the way." He held out his hand for a handshake with his new ally.

The stranger hesitated for a moment before reaching his own hand out. There was a clink of metal, the sound drawing Alfyn's eye to the source- a short chain attached to a shackle clasped around the stranger's wrist. "Therion." The handshake was brief, Therion quickly pulling his hand back and hiding it back beneath his mantle. He tugged up on his scarf with his other hand- free of any sort of chains or bands. "Well? You said we need to hurry, right? Lead the way."

Whatever the deal was with the shackle, it seemed Therion didn't want to talk about it. Fair enough, he was right that they should hurry. Alfyn motioned for him to follow, setting off for the east side of town. "Thank you so much, Therion, it's nice to meet ya! The snake lives in a cavern outside of town."

  
As the pair made their way out of town towards the caverns, Alfyn made an attempt at small talk both to pass the time and ease some of the lingering anxiety. "So, Therion, what brought ya to Clearbrook? We don't get too many new faces 'round these parts."

Therion trailed behind him, posture tense and eyes on the surrounding trees. "...just passing through."

"Oh yeah? Where are you headin'? Bet a traveler like you has been all over the place." Alfyn looked back expectantly.

Therion looked his way for a long moment, then turned his attention back to the woods. "Now isn't the time, medicine man. We should keep an eye out for monsters out here."

"Oh." Alfyn turned forward again, scratching at the side of his face. Alright, yeah, that made sense. He should have thought of that. "Right, sorry, guess my nerves have me babblin'."

Ah, but there he was still talking. Alfyn clamped his mouth shut. It felt like this was taking a while, would they get to the cave and back in time? What if they took too long? What if they failed, or one of them got bit? Zeph and Nina were counting on him, would he be able to do this? By the flame he needed some sort of distraction. 

Alfyn took in a deep breath. Though it wasn't as strong as when he was in wolf form, his sense of smell was still keen. He sorted through the surrounding scents: trails left behind by passing animals and monsters mingling together. If he tried he could pick out ones he was familiar with. Deer, rabbit, salamander, Lily and Nina had passed through here- blood from Nina's injury. He picked out the scent of Therion behind him; he smelled of long days in the sun, dust, apples, and elements he could never quite name but were as identifying as a person's face to him- unique. He smelled like he came from the Cliftlands, they got merchants from there time to time.

There was a smell of moist earth accompanied by soft croaking. Alfyn looked towards the source: something lurking behind a large stone by the path up ahead. His heart raced, shit, this was it- they would have to defend themselves. He froze, reaching back for his hatchet.

"We've got some company, Therion." Alfyn called back before taking a deep breath and running forward, drawing his makeshift weapon. He could do this, he had scared off his fair share of monsters in the past. Sure in those instances he had fur and sharp teeth, but he could be just as intimidating as a human- right?

The froggen hopped from its hiding place, brandishing a small knife. The squat beastkin let out a startled croak as Alfyn took a swing at it, bouncing out of the way before moving back in to strike with its blade. 

"Shit-" Alfyn felt pain bloom in his upper arm as the froggen flew past him. That stung, seemed that it would take more than a gruff apothecary with an axe to scare it off after all. 

There was a pained croak from behind him. "Careful." He hadn't even heard Therion move.

Alfyn turned around to find Therion standing between him and the enemy, sword drawn. The froggen had suffered a slash over the area above its nose. It staggered, letting out a series of loud croaks as it adjusted its footing. A response echoed from the woods.

Two more froggen emerged from among the trees. "Great. It brought friends." Therion commented dryly.

Alfyn adjusted the grip on his axe. Okay, think, what did froggens not like. Snakes. Werewolves. Droughts. Winter. Wait- winter! Froggens hated the cold! "Yeah, they seem pretty miffed too. Think I've got an idea!"

Therion dove gracefully away from an attack from on of the new froggens, blocking the other's strike with his sword. "Then what are you waiting for?" 

Alfyn nodded, taking a moment to focus- he felt the familiar sensation of ice-aspected arcane energy gathering in his palm. All he needed to do now was pinpoint his target, and.... "Hey!" He called, getting the attention of the nearest froggen, "cool off!" He thrust out his hand palm first, shooting forth the spell.

The ground beneath the froggen briefly glowed with light blue magic, air shimmering before a small pillar of ice solidified around the froggen. The ice shattered, the froggen letting out a pained croak before falling back with its injured companion.

The froggens let out a series of frantic croaking before the two injured ones made to retreat back into the tree line, the last one standing bringing up the rear with a few cautious looks back to ensure nobody was giving chase.

"Yeah! Go on, get!" Alfyn shouted after the retreating figures. Once out of site he put away his hatchet, going instead for his satchel. "Alright, are you injured at all?"

"Nothing that can't wait until we get back." Therion commented, wiping off and sheathing his sword.

Alfyn nodded, taking a moment to tie a scrap of cloth over his cut. Therion was right, they were in a hurry. He could see to any minor cuts and scrapes after they delivered the venom. "Let's head out, then. We're almost there. And hey-" he shot Therion a smile, "thanks for having my back!"

Therion shrugged. "Try not to count on it. Watch your back, I can't stop every monster that comes after you."

Thankfully the two did not have to travel too much further to find the cavern. Despite Therion's claims, he covered Alfyn in every encounter they had with denizens of the cave. Some agitated bats here, a territorial snail monster there. After a while Alfyn felt like he was starting to get a good idea of how to handle himself, at least.

"Shit-" Therion backed away as a bright red snake slithered from the shadows, hissing angrily. "Is that what you're looking for?"

Alfyn shook his head, "nah, these guys are more bark than- okay they can bite but they ain't venomous." He swatted at the snake with the broad side of his axe, trying to shoo it off. "Blotted vipers are much bigger, big enough to swallow one of them froggens we met on the way here."

Therion paused, his visible eye widening. "That's pretty big. Please tell me you have some sort of plan."

"Ah, well," Alfyn scratched at the side of his face. "Guess we can't really pin it down without it comin' for us. If we could knock it out we could get the venom and leave before it woke up. Should mention we gotta leave it alive."

Therion sighed, walking past him heading further into the cavern. "Fine. Let's try not to die, medicine man."

They came upon a chamber, light filtering in from holes that lead to the surface. Small, delicate white flowers carpeted the ground. Alfyn smiled to himself. The circumstances that brought them here were dire, but he had to admit it was a lovely site.

Alfyn approached the flower patch. "Look here: waterblooms. There's some dropped ones too- this was where Nina was picking them for her brother. What a dear, they're Zeph's favorites."

Therion stood behind him, looking around the chamber with a hand on the hilt of his sword. "Which means this was the last spot that snake was seen."

Alfyn nodded, standing up. "That's right." He stepped away from the flowers, sniffing the air in the hopes of locating their quandry. The smell was strong, recent, and all over- and more than one. Oh, this might be more than just the creature's lair- it was a nest. A breeding ground. 

A loud hiss cued them both to spin around. Slithering in from where they came in was a massive serpent, bright orange with deep purple blotches along its back. The Blotted Viper. A full grown blotted viper. So much for hoping for a young one.

The snake reared up, swaying as it trained its eyes on the nearest target: Alfyn.

In that moment Alfyn felt himself struck with the urge to change- protect himself from the danger before him. He growled instinctively, a shiver of goosebumps going down his spine in an attempt to raise his hackles, pulling out and gripping his hatchet tight. The change did not come, instead there was a flare of pain around his neck- a burn like acid anywhere the silver touched his skin.

He gasped, a sharp intake of air at the pain. The initial sensation fading as soon as the attempted transformation stopped, thankfully. He didn't have time to think about what that had been about, the snake moving to strike in the same moment.

Alfyn shouted- swinging in time to swat the snake right on the nose. The blotted viper hissed, moving back and circling its long body around both intruders.

Therion shot him a worried glance before refocusing on the snake's head. "I'll try to distract it. Knocking it out is your problem- got it?"

Alfyn swallowed, his mouth felt dry. "Got it."

As soon as Therion got confirmation that Alfyn had heard him he rushed into action. Watching him move was fascinating- it was as though the man drifted over the ground. His movements were not unlike that of the serpent's- quick and carefully calculated to avoid strikes and make attacks of his own. It was unlike anything Alfyn had ever seen. How could a human being move like that?

Right, no, he needed to focus. Therion had the viper distracted and it was up to him to stop it before either of them got bit. 

He ran after the viper and Therion, letting out a shout as he tried to strike at the back of its head. The blunt side of his hatchet found purchase, but it only seemed to anger the snake. The viper let out another loud hiss, whipping around to coil its body around him.

Alfyn felt the coils of pure, solid muscle start to tighten around him.

"Fire-" at Therion's word a small fireball erupted at the viper's head. The serpent hissed again, spinning back around at its aggressor. It didn't let him go, but it was no longer tightening the coils.

Alfyn squirmed his hands up. He couldn't swing his weapon like this, but Therion had a good idea there- maybe some magic would turn this around.

He cast an ice spell, he couldn't properly focus the spell on a target with his arms mostly restrained but he could chill his hands and cool down what he touched. The coils began to loosen, so Alfyn kept up his casting.

"It's slowing down!" Therion called out. "Whatever you're doing, it's working!"

Ah, so the viper didn't like the cold either, did it? Once his arms were free Alfyn took aim- shouting an incantation to summon ice at the serpent's head.

The blotted viper hissed, swayed, then lowered to the ground. Alfyn climbed out of the coils, cautiously walking over. "Shoot, is it still alive?"

Therion still had his sword and knife drawn and ready, watching the viper. "It's slow, but it's breathing."

Oh, that was a relief. "Alright, no time to lose!" He pulled out a vial from his satchel, carefully prying open the snake's mouth and extracting venom from one of its long fangs.


	3. Repayment

What had he gotten himself into.

The thought crossed Therion's mind several times on the little excursion with the local apothecary. He had only stopped in town to pick up supplies. Helping with the medical emergency of the hour was just insurance he would be able to pick up some salve and bandages for the road sooner. 

It had nothing to do with it being a child in a life-or-death struggle. Nothing at all.

Therion let out a small huff, tossing an apple between his hands as he lounged on the most comfortable looking spot in the apothecary's modest abode: the bed. He _had_ been told to make himself at home. Therion smirked to himself at that, if the apothecary had any idea as to what he was he wouldn't have given him such an open invitation. Then again, there wasn't anything here worth stealing. The cutlery was pewter, wood, or unglazed ceramic. There were hanging bunches of plants- but Therion wasn't about to go grabbing random plants in an apothecary's house not knowing what they did. 

He had found some strips of preserved meat- and a concerning number of bones. _Chewed_ bones. That, combined with the scratch marks worn into the old wooden floor and a lingering musky smell, led Therion to conclude the guy must have a dog. Somewhere. He wasn't about to steal dog food. He wasn't that desperate for provisions.

The apothecary- Alfyn- had been gone a while now. Long enough for Therion to snoop through his things and get board, at any rate. Dropping off the venom should have been a quick affair, right? Unless he had opted to stay and help. That was probably typical. Or they were fighting tooth and nail to save their patient.

He hoped the kid would pull through.

The front door rattled and opened, prompting Therion to sit up. Alfyn entered, a slight slouch in his posture and steps slow and heavy. The man looked run down- which was understandable as he had taken the brunt of most of their encounters outside of town. 

"Phew," he wiped his brow, closing the door behind him before making his way to the tableside chair. "We've done our part, things are in Zeph's hands now. It's a bit early to say, but with him on the job the odds are good."

Therion hummed, turning to plant his feet on the ground. "Not a sure thing?"

"Medicine ain't always so. Especially with poison this potent." He frowned, scratching at his stubble. "But-" his lips curled up into a hopeful smile "-Zeph's th' best apothecary in town, and we made good time, so little Nina's in good hands. I really can't thank ya enough for helping us out."

Therion shrugged, "it was nothing. Just needed some medical supplies for the road, didn't see that happening with the only apothecaries busy." He took a bite of his apple. Not as crisp as he usually liked, the texture almost grainy- but this time of year he took what he could get. 

"Shucks, I think that can be arranged- on the house! It's the least I can do for all your help today." Alfyn placed his satchel on the table, opening it up and pulling out various jars, cloths, and a roll of bandages. "You need any patching up?"

"Nothing I can't handle on my own." He had sustained a few scrapes, but he would prefer to avoid exposing himself. Especially to an apothecary who might realize what sort of severe injuries would have lead to his numerous scars.

He stood, sauntering over to the table to look over the different materials. It felt a little too good to be true to get the supplies for free, this guy owing him one or no. He snatched up a vial with his free, unshackled hand and eyed the liquid inside. There was a label, but it was in some sort of shorthand he didn't know.

"Oh that's-" Alfyn chuckled, lightly taking the bottle back, "that's not medicine, just some lovely lace extract. It's good for wrinkles, dry skin, scars, good for dry hair too. Though, if that sounds like somethin' ya need-"

"Think I'll pass." Therion took another bite of his apple, tucking his other hand away back under his mantle as he watched Alfyn sort. "I wanted to pick up some healing balm and bandages." He considered, that had been all he had on his list but if he was going to get these for free... "don't suppose you have anything in the way of antidotes or pain relief?"

"Oh yeah I've got plenty of healing balm," the apothecary separated out a squat glass jar from his collection alongside a roll of gauze. "As for antidotes and pain relief... well, treating poison is tricky. The antidote depends on the poison; treat it wrong and it'll make things worse, so it's not really something I can have ready ahead of time."

Just his luck then. Therion made a mental note to be extra wary of anything that looked like it could be venomous.

"As for pain relief," Alfyn continued, "what sort of pain are ya havin' trouble with?"

Therion turned his apple in his hand, he should have anticipated the question. The truth was that, on his bad days, a bad ache would settle into his joints- old injuries that never seemed to have healed right. "Something to help sore feet after a long day on the road, that's all."

Alfyn nodded, picking out a few pouches that opened to reveal dried plant matter. "I can mix somethin' up for that, sure. Might take me a bit though, if ya don't want t' stand around watchin' me work the tavern is just up the road from here. Magg's is the best cook around and I can't say I have any complaints about the drinks!" He chuckled again at that. "Could ya swing by for it tomorrow, you think?"

Well, he was planning on staying the night in town anyway. "Yeah, no problem. I can find you here in the morning?"

Alfyn looked up from his work portioning out ingredients on a small scale. "Great, I'll see ya then! Rest well, Therion!" He smiled wide, genuine happiness- at what? His work? At Him? What a strange guy.

"See you then, medicine man." Therion picked up the balm and gauze, tucking them away into hidden pockets in his mantel before strolling out the door. Well, all things considered the day's misadventure had ended in his favor. He turned, tossing his apple core into a bush by Alfyn's house as he headed towards the tavern. A drink sounded good about now.


	4. Setting Out

His work at last done, Alfyn kicked off his boots and fell into bed. It was still a bit early to sleep, and he hadn't even thought of dinner yet, but he needed at least a nap. He buried himself under the covers, nestling against his pillow, and took in a deep, steady breath.

The last thing he noted as he dozed off was that his pillow smelled like Therion. Guess he wasn't the only one who wanted a cozy place to rest.

Alfyn ended up tossing and turning. Tired though he was, the day's events still weighed heavily on his mind. He had full faith in Zeph's abilities- but skill meant little if they were too late. Meanwhile, the silver necklace rubbed against his skin, uncomfortable and even itchy. Ah- maybe he should have taken it off to sleep.

Eventually he gave up, sitting up scratching at the itch around his neck. The sun had set, leaving only moonlight to illuminate his home. A full moon, of course. The full moon had always been just bright enough to disturb his sleep.

Alfyn stretched, getting out of bed. Nothing for it, he was awake now. Maybe a late night walk around town would help ease his mind.

The night was pleasantly cool with an orchestra of crickets filling the night air. There were only a few clouds in the sky, giving a nice view of the stars overhead. Alfyn started his casual stroll toward the central bridge not far from his home, leaning on the stone siding as he took in the sight of the town. Grass swayed, growing in patches from thatch rooftops. Vines curling up the sides of buildings, with firelight flickering from within. Most folks were probably getting ready to sleep about now.

Alfyn chuckled to himself, "all it would take is a stiff breeze to blow this backwater village off the map." Clearbrook was small, the only place he had ever known, but it was home. Where people counted on him. Even if, he thought- hand going to the locket clawing at his chest, he had a means of leaving now.

The silver really worked. He had almost changed when that snake stared him down, but the chain stopped it. It had hurt. Hurt like hell. But damn it all it _worked_ and he didn't reveal his secret to the traveler who had come along. 

He would have to thank Zeph for it. One less thing to worry about now. Speaking of, he wondered how his friend was holding up. How Nina was doing. His home was just on the other side of the bridge, maybe he ought to stop by.

As Alfyn set off he saw the door to Zeph's home open, the young apothecary stepping out. Zeph called out when he spotted him, "Alf!" He rushed over, wide smile on his face. "The flame take me, it worked! Nina's feeling better by the hour!"

He should have known Zeph would be fine, he always was. Alfyn cracked a smile of his own, "I knew it. With you on the job, was there ever any doubt?"

Zeph hummed, gaze wandering to the ground. They both knew. It was a close call. "Thank you, Alfyn. For everything. You saved Nina's life today. Not sure how I'll ever repay you."

"Hey now, don't mention it." Alfyn gave him a soft nudge in the shoulder. "I helped someone in a bind, simple as that."

Zeph looked up then, surprised. "Those words..." his expression softened and he turned away, gazing up at the starry sky. "I remember, when we were little, when the great pestilence swept through town. My father, he could cure about anything, but that illness...it had him stumped."

He took a seat on the steps that lead to the riverbank. Alfyn joined him, waiting for him to continue.

"And then, one day, a traveler arrived in town with an elixir unlike any we had ever seen." Zeph chuckled, "as he treated you, you were so worried about how you and Miss Greengrass were going to afford his miracle cure."

Alfyn let out a small laugh of his own. "Oh, is that how that went?" His own memory was fuzzy, but the traveler and his words stuck out clear to him.

Zeph looked his way now. "You really want to be like him, don't you."

Guilty as charged. Alfyn sighed. "Nothing gets past you, does it."

"You've worked your damnedest ever since that day to live up to him." He paused for a moment, then placed a hand on his shoulder. "Alfyn. I've known you a long time, so, I can tell. You want to leave this place, don't you? To travel the world, helping as many people as you can."

Ah, two for two. Alfyn let out another small chuckle, looking up at the sky himself. "Yeah, but...I couldn't do that to ya. To everyone here. Clearbrook is my home. You're a skilled apothecary, Zeph, better than me even, but I can't leave ya to take care of the entire village on your own." He snorted, elbowing Zeph in the side. "Besides, who else will cut your ego down to size? And who will listen to Gertas grumble, and listen to Meryl's stories?"

"I will!" Alfyn looked down to see determination burning in Zeph's eyes. "I'll do it all! You don't have to worry about anything, I'll keep everyone hale and hearty you have my word." He smiled again. "This was why I gave you that necklace. So you can finally go out and see the world."

Alfyn was stunned. He really meant it, didn't he? "Shucks, Zeph..." He rubbed his teary eyes. "I, I will! I will."

The following morning Alfyn was busy getting ready, rushing back and forth to pack away supplies. Spare clothing, food, his medicinal plant guide, taking down the herbs he had out to dry. Some of those were supplies for regular medicine he prepared for local patients, maybe he should drop those off with Zeph before he left? 

There was a knock on his door as he untied a bundle of chamomile, balanced precariously on a stool. Who could that be, was he expecting company today?

"Shoot, just a moment!" He called over his shoulder. He shifted his footing, steadying himself on a shelf as he wobbled unsteadily. There was a crack, the shelf giving way, sending the stored pots, pans, dishes and cups tumbling towards the floor. Alfyn swore, making a feeble attempt to stop the cascade.

The door opened after the heavy metal pots and pans crashed loudly to the ground. What a sight this had to be, Alfyn still trying to balance on a stool as his arm was the only thing preventing him from breaking the remainder of his plates on a shelf that was now more a slide.

"Sorry, just, give me a moment-" Another metal cup fell as he tried to arrange the plates into his arms. 

"Are you going to be in some sort of trouble every time we meet?" He hadn't even heard Therion move into the room. There was a hint of amusement in his voice, like he was trying not to laugh. 

He succeeded in gathering up the plates (thankfully he didn't have many to begin with), stepping down from the stool to set them on the counter. "Ha, probably. Trouble sticks to me like flies on-" ah, shoot, where were his manners? Alfyn cleared his throat. "Anyway- ah- what was it you needed?"

"You were going to mix some medicine for me. The pain relievers?" Therion crossed his arms, leaning on the counter as he surveyed the room.

"Oh, right!" Alfyn dusted himself off, he had moved the bottle somewhere... "sorry, I've been moving stuff around, give me a moment."

"I can see that," Therion paused, picking up some of the things that had spilled to the floor. "Planning on going somewhere?"

The bottle wasn't among the ones he had by the wash basin, so he hadn't moved it there. "I am, actually. Planning on setting out as a traveling apothecary." Did he pack it up by accident? He opened up his satchel- bingo! "Here we go! I wrote down the dosage information on the label for ya."

"Is that so?" Therion took the bottle, scrutinizing the label for a moment before it vanished beneath his poncho. "Explains why the place looks ransacked. Your dog going with you too?"

Alfyn paused, bent over as he picked up a pan. "Dog? I don't have a dog."

"What, you chew up those bones in the corner yourself?" Therion commented, standing back to watch Alfyn do the rest of the work.

Alfyn let out a nervous laugh. Ah, shoot, he didn't usually have strangers come into his home. Zeph's house was where they ran their business out of, after all. Therion was joking, he just had to joke back, play it off. "Caught me, it's a bad habit, tryin' to stop." Smooth? "But no there's...a neighborhood dog. Hangs out here sometimes."

Therion snorted, Alfyn caught sight of a smirk before it disappeared in the man's scarf. "Right. You sure you're ready for the road? Didn't you say yesterday was your first time leaving town?"

"I'll figure it out. Guess I have some things I need to get before I go." Like camping gear. And a map. "You're a traveler, don't suppose you can offer any pointers?"

"Hmm..." Therion looked over at the bag he had been busy packing. "You going to bring anything to cook those vegetables you crammed in there?"

Alfyn chuckled, grabbing a few of the smaller pieces of cookware he had. Just big enough to cook for one person, or maybe over a campfire. "Well I am now! Thanks!"

Therion rolled his eye, watching as Alfyn went back to packing. He looked like he was considering leaving, eyeing the door now and again, but he didn't.

Eventually he spoke up again. "It's also safer to travel in groups. I prefer to work alone, but, if we're heading the same way we could go together."

"Yeah?" Alfyn closed up his bag, securing it on his back before picking up his satchel. He really, really didn't know what he was doing here. Having someone experienced like Therion around would be a huge help. "Sounds like a great idea! I thought I'd just see where the road took me. I have a few things I need to do before I go, so, we can meet up at the entrance to town?"

"Don't take too long, medicine man." With a wave Therion turned on his heel, heading for the door. "I have a deadline. Take all day and I will leave without you."

  
Alfyn did his best to go about his remaining errands in a timely manner. A good chunk of his savings went towards supplies for the trip. Zeph wasn't home and Nina was on bedrest, so he left the dried herbs with a hastily scribbled note wrapped up in a cloth by his front door. With that done he had one important task left.

The graveyard was serene as always. Alfyn's boots treaded along the well worn path, stopping in his usual place. He spoke as he usually did, like she was still there. He like to think she could still hear him. "Guess what, ma, I'm going on a journey!"

"It ain't gonna be easy, but don't you worry none because I've made a new friend to show me the ropes. His name's Therion, he helped me save Nina yesterday." Some birds flew by, and he turned his attention back to the gravestone. "I'm finally going to start following in his footsteps. I have a long way to go to be anything like him, but, I'm going to give it my best."

Running steps in the grass, "Alf!" Zeph rushed up, taking a moment to catch his breath. "I'm glad I caught you before you left." He stood up straight, hands wringing the strap of his satchel. "It's not much, but, I wanted to give you something to remember us by. I mean, I know you have the necklace and all, but ah..." the other apothecary rubbed at the back of his neck before taking a deep breath and taking off his satchel, holding the bag Alfyn's way. "I want you to take my satchel. That way, if you're ever lonely, it's like I'm with you."

Alfyn took the bag by the strap. "You're right, it's not much." Alright, enough making Zeph squirm. He smiled. "I'll take good care of it. Here-" he slipped his own satchel off his shoulder, swapping the bags and handing his own towards Zeph. "You can hold onto mine too."

Zeph nodded, taking the bag and securing it over his shoulder. "Safe travels, Alfyn." 


	5. The Thief

The trip out of town started off similar to their trek to the caverns, silent and on alert for lurking monsters. Or, at least Therion looked to be on edge. Himself, Alfyn was too busy taking in his surroundings. Once they had been walking about an hour on the road he was in all new territory- well outside his usual gathering grounds. 

Therion let out what sounded like an exaggerated sigh. "If you make us stop to look at every weed you see it's going to take us weeks to reach the next town."

"I'll have you know these 'weeds' are useful for treatin' burns an' bug bites." Alfyn carefully picked out specimens from the large patch of plants before him, setting them down on a cloth to wrap them in when he was done. "Actually, they're good for eating too. There's a lot here, I can get some for our supper tonight."

Therion gave him a skeptical look. "Is it...normal, to eat medicine?"

"Well it depends on if you turn it into a salve, steep it, or fry it up. With some plants it's all about how it's prepared- but I'll admit most medicinal plants you don't want to just munch on." Alfyn wrapped up the bundle, packing it away in his satchel. "These guys are common and have tons of uses. Food, medicine, drinks, and a good laugh too."

He flicked one of the picked plants Therion's way as he was met with a puzzled look. Therion flinched back on reflex, looking down to see the sprig of green stuck fast to his poncho. " _What the-?!_ " He didn't seem to care for that much. Alfyn made a mental note that Therion wasn't the sort who liked surprises.

Therion pulled off the plant, prodding at the narrow leaves and watching how they clung to his fingers. "It's... sticky? But it doesn't leave a residue."

"Ah, yeah," Alfyn rubbed at the back of his neck, so much for breaking the tension. "They're cleavers- though some folk call 'em stickyweed. Somethin' about th' hairs on th' leaves make them stick to just about anything... shucks I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare ya-"

Therion huffed, flinging the plant back at him. It wound up in his hair. "I wasn't scared." He stared at him a moment, then let out a small breath that might have been a laugh. "That's not a bad look on you. Let's get going."

Alfyn pulled the plant out of his hair and got up from his stooped position as Therion began walking away. "Hey, wait up!"

The day was getting later, it was well past midday and Alfyn could feel his stomach grumbling. Much more of that and he'd be tempted to run down the next small, fuzzy critter that crossed their path. He dug into his pack, pulling out a couple strips of jerky. He held one in his mouth, closing up his pack before holding the other strip out the Therion. "'ere, 'ungry?"

Therion looked his way with interest, then at the jerky like it had said something to offend him. The expression was short lived, soothing out to one more neutral as he presented an apple out of seemingly nowhere. "Nah, I'm good." The chain on the cuff on his wrist jingled as he took a bite of the fruit.

Alfyn shrugged, taking a moment to enjoy a bite of his own snack. "So, I've been wonderin', and you don't gotta answer if you don't want to, but... what's with the chain there?" He motioned to his own wrist.

"Hm," Therion tossed his apple between his hands. "Ever hear of a fool's bangle?"

"Fool's bangle? What, like, from storybooks?" Truth be told, it had been a long time since he heard a story that featured one. He wracked his brain for details. "Sometimes there'd be, like, a dashing rogue who had one cuz they got caught tryin' t' get int' a castle or somethin'."

Wait. Alfyn looked over at Therion again, realization hitting him. "Are you a thief, Therion?"

"Maybe." The thief took another bite of his apple. "Is that going to be a problem?"

Was it a problem? Alfyn mulled that over. "I mean, I don't know ya too well yet, but, ya helped me save Nina and rushed in when it sounded like I tried to crack my head open." He took another bite of his jerky. "And, I mean, we've been walkin' together all day and it's not like you've stolen from me."

Therion snorted. "You wouldn't know if I did."

"Oho!" Alfyn chuckled, "you're that good, hu?"

"I could swipe that necklace right off your neck and you wouldn't notice." Therion commented, he sounded awfully sure of himself.

Alfyn's hand went to the pendant, just to be sure. Not that he needed to when he could feel the constant cold, constricting sensation where the metal met skin. He let out a nervous chuckle. "Shucks, well, thank ya for not doin' that. This was a gift." He tried to adjust the chain, as if that might relieve some of the discomfort, but the movement only made his skin crawl. 

Therion laughed. "Don't worry, I'm not so cruel to take the only thing of value you have."

"So then, what sort of sweeping, high-stakes adventure lead to you being stuck with that thing?" He had to admit, he was curious. If this was anything like the stories then that would put Therion in the role of the suave mentor...or was that sketchy contact? Therion wasn't sketchy. Suave maybe. No, definitely.

"I think you've read too many storybooks." Therion tucked his shackled wrist back under his mantle. "It wasn't anything glorious, so I'm going to dash those expectations right now. A noble house set a trap, I fell into it, now I have to fetch some heirlooms if I want this thing off."

Alfyn frowned. "So...you're being blackmailed?"

Therion tossed his apple core off to the side of the road. "Pretty much."

"That's..." Alfyn pursed his lips, "that's really awful. Man, screw those folks!"

"Why are you angry?" Therion sounded a little taken aback, or surprised? "It's not like you're the one they tricked."

"No, but," deep breaths, easy now, "it ain't right. They're a noble house, right? They should be able to just, hire someone like ya t' do the job. Makin' ya do it against your will is just..."

"You don't know a lot about thieves if you think that would work. They just know people like me... we can't be trusted." He sounded so defeated at that. Like it was an unfortunate fact he had accepted long ago.

Alfyn frowned. He didn't know what could have happened to make someone think that way, but there was one thing he did know. "You seem pretty trustworthy to me."

Therion didn't reply.

If there was one thing Alfyn was not prepared for it was setting up camp. He trusted Therion's intuition on picking a spot that they could easily protect from monsters. He, at the very least, knew how to gather firewood and kindling for the campfire. Not so good was discovering, upon sitting down for a break, that he had unrolled his bedroll on top of an anthill.

Therion watched him shaking it out in awe. "You know, when you said trouble followed you I thought you were joking."

"Damnit," Alfyn looked for a new spot to lay out his roll, "I'm gonna be itchin' all night just thinkin' there are still ants in there." He moved closer to Therion, at least he knew his spot was safe.

"Oh no, you keep your bad luck far away from me." Therion said, dead serious. "Luck is important in my profession and I'm not taking any risks."

Alfyn pouted, but complied. Therion seemed to value his personal space anyway. "Shoulda thought of that before invitin' me along." New spot found, he finally sat back down to watch Therion work on building up a good fire. "So, you still haven't told me where we're goin', by the way."

Therion stuck more small sticks into the growing heart of flame. "Noblecourt, out in the Flatlands."

"Shucks, all the way across the middlesea. Guess we got a lot of walkin' ahead of us." A friend of him and Zeph had moved to the region years ago. She had family out that way, and there would be better opportunities for her over there than spending her life in a backwater village.

It would be nice to see her again. Darn, if he knew for sure he could find her he'd have seen if he could get a message from Zeph. He knew he missed her, and maybe he could make up for forgetting that other letter all those years ago.

"Yeah, we do." Therion backed away from the fire, settling on his own bedroll. "If we're lucky maybe we can find some warmer clothes when we pass through the Highlands. The return trip is faster through the north, but we need to be prepared for the Frostlands. Place is freezing even this time of year."

"Oh? Yeah guess there ain't many folk sellin' warm clothes this time of year with summer right around th' corner." Alfyn had packed a warmer outfit, but he imagined cold in the Riverlands was nothing compared to cold in the Frostlands. Thinking about it, weren't the Knights Ardante based out of the Frostlands? Normally he might have second thoughts going through the home turf of the holy group of monster hunters, but with the silver keeping him human it ought to be fine. 

He scratched at his neck again. Yeah, perfectly fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously though cleavers are fun to throw at friends. 
> 
> The plant.
> 
> Please don't throw meat cleavers at your friends.


	6. Theft and Illness

It had been about two weeks now since the journey had began. In that time they passed over harsh desert, through winding mountain paths, and were buffeted by winds over slick seaside bluffs. It was more walking than Alfyn had ever done in his life, with monster attacks in between, but somehow that wasn't the hardest part of the journey.

"Hey, wake up." It had almost become routine, Therion lightly nudging him with his foot in an attempt to get him to stir.

He could swear he was waking him up later and later.

Alfyn groaned, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. Therion would be over on his side of the camp again by the time he sat up. He felt like he was starting to come down with something, his senses were getting more dull- like his head was in a fog. But it wasn't anything to do with his sinuses- he could breathe just fine and wasn't congested or anything. His limbs felt more stiff and heavy- but that could easily be from the constant travel. Probably. 

"We should get to Noblecourt today." Therion commented, sitting on a stone that he had his pack propped up against. "Don't forget to eat something before we hit the road." 

"Shucks, where would I be without ya lookin' out for me?" He shot Therion a smile to which the thief responded by rolling his eye and looking away. He chuckled, getting up and packing up his bedroll.

As he worked he kept catching himself going to scratch at his neck again. Darn, he had to stop doing that. His skin was starting to get irritated where the metal rubbed against it, making him scratch which was starting to do damage. He tried a few different salves to attempt to ease the symptoms but nothing had worked so far.

Since they had set out Alfyn hadn't removed the necklace once. There simply had not been the opportunity to do so. He could very easily shift forms in his sleep, he had in the past, which was too great a risk when him and Therion had to share a room when they weren't camping. Alfyn wasn't about to argue- his own funds were very limited and they had to cut costs where they could.

He pulled a chunk of bread out of his pack, leaning back on his rolled-up bedroll as he ate. "So, t'day's th' day?"

"Should be." Therion scanned the surrounding area, continuing to keep watch. "A scholar in Noblecourt... those are a leaf a dozen in these parts."

Alfyn swallowed his mouthful of bread. "How are ya gonna figure out where to go?"

"I have my ways. Finding more information shouldn't be too hard." Therion slid off the rock, picking up his bag. "Come on then, we're losing daylight."

  
Noblecourt was by far one of the fanciest towns Alfyn had ever seen. Not that he had seen many, but the large buildings and paved roads put it leaps and bounds over Clearbrook. Atlasdam might have been more impressive- but they had bypassed the large city-state to make better time. Even so Alfyn still remembered the sheer size of the towering walls and drawbridge.

That said, it was also somehow smaller than he was expecting. There were quite a few aged buildings that didn't look like they had seen proper upkeep in ages, some possibly abandoned. There was also a concerning lack of local guards- shouldn't a proper town like this have a town watch or something?

As they came upon a small plaza a florist stall caught Alfyn's eye. Therion followed along and seemed to be browsing too as Alfyn started up a conversation with the stall owner.

He didn't even notice Therion had left until he turned around to find him gone. It wasn't unusual for them to go their separate ways in town but usually he would at least say something about meeting up somewhere later. 

Alfyn headed up a set of stairs that lead further into town. It was oddly quiet here, he thought, Clearbrook might be smaller but it was always bustling with activity. The other towns they had been to were noisy too, full of merchants and travelers and locals at work or play. Noblecourt felt... almost melancholy. Was this town really so dead, or was it just his dulled senses not picking up what he was used to?

"You okay there, medicine man?" Therion's voice, practically a whisper, startled him out of his thoughts.

"Oh, Therion!" He laughed off the nerves, scratching at his face. "I was wonderin' where ya went. Shucks, it's so quiet here ya about scared me outta my skin!"

Therion hummed, "yeah, it is pretty quiet here. Guess the scholarly types spend all their time indoors." He walked by, motioning for Alfyn to follow. "I was going to hit up the tavern for information. You coming? Lunch sounds good about now."

"Oh- yeah, sure!" Alfyn adjusted his satchel and trailed after. Truth be told he hadn't had much of an apatite lately. It was driving him crazy, actually, because he would start to feel weak and lightheaded before realizing he was actually hungry. Normally he would snack off and on all through the day. The sooner he figured out whatever it was that was making him unwell, the better. "So, the tavern for information? What sorta stuff could ya possibly learn at a tavern?"

"Oh, plenty of things." Therion counted off on his fingers, "who's wealthy, who's not, who pays their guards well. People offer up all sort of information when drink loosens their tongues."

"Shucks." It was always something to see how confident Therion was whenever he talked about his profession. "Guess I better count my mugs if we ever go drinkin' together."

Therion let out a small chuckle. "You can try."

Not sure what to expect at each new town, Alfyn had gotten into the habit of asking for whatever the barkeep or cook recommended. It had yet to fail him- though honestly nothing compared to the food back home. He regretted not thinking to pack his fishing pole.

Aw, shoot, he should have bought one back when they were in Rippletide. Why did he always think of these things too late? A part of him missed hunting as a wolf too. It was like an itch he needed to scratch now and again, compelled to bring something home to share with his friends and neighbors. Though, now that he thought about it, that desire hadn't been as strong lately either.

Possibly to be expected, the food in Noblecourt was as fancy as the town itself was. Pasta and toasted bread with an herb based sauce ("pesto" the barkeep called it), topped with plenty of melting cheese and bright red tomatoes. 

Alfyn speared one of Therion's tomatoes as the thief picked them off of his bread. "Not a fan of these either, hu?" 

Therion didn't reply, but he did start placing the picked off tomatoes onto Alfyn's plate.

Was he already listening for information? There was certainly a bit of chatter going on around them, with people filtering in and out. Eventually Therion stood, strolling away from the bar to one of the tables where a couple men were sat drinking.

Alfyn watched and was amazed to see his demeanor change. His smile became warm, his gestures less guarded and more open. Seamlessly he was chatting and laughing with the pair like they had welcomed over a friend. He flagged the barkeep, motioning for more drinks for the table. 

Wow, he didn't know Therion had that in him. 

  
He had found the information he had been looking for, apparently. A man who used to work with the scholar he was looking for- a man named Barham. Barham lived in a small house near the edge of town. The building was in a state of disrepair, with crooked shutters and missing shingles on the roof. The man knew how Therion could get into the manor owned by his old partner, but the information was not free.

Therion huffed, closing the door a little too roughly as he stepped back outside. Barham kept having him run errands- stealing reagents that were usually costly. It was the first time Alfyn had actually seen Therion at work- if he could really say he saw anything at all. He would walk over, mingling in a group or unnoticed by anyone around, then he wandered back and amazingly had what he needed.

It was impressive, but gosh if Therion didn't look tired. Maybe he could lift the mood. "Gosh. Stealing here, stealing there, stealing just about everywhere. You weren't kiddin' when ya said you're good. Bet ya got all sorts of treasures hidden away."

Therion shrugged. "You could say I'm prepared for retirement."

"I see..." He gave his scruff a scratch. Ah- he knew what he liked after a long day of work, and that Therion seemed fond of too. "What do you say we hit up the tavern when you're done? Celebrate a job well done?"

"Why? It's not like you're doing any thieving." Ouch, well he wasn't wrong there. Even so Therion looked his way, considering him. "but...sure. One mug, your treat."

Alfyn smiled- it was something.

  
Once Therion had finished the errands- earning himself both a key and password- it was at last time to head to the manor. Or, rather, for Therion to head to the manor.

"Are you sure you'll be alright alone?" Alfyn pouted. What if something happened in there, what if he got caught? Hell without a town watch how did this place even handle thieves?

"I'll be fine, this is what I do. Besides," Therion leaned on the wall of Barham's home, "your luck is too terrible for thieving. I'll meet you at the tavern in a couple hours."

He sighed, "guess I can't argue with that. Stay safe, ya hear me?" With that he nudged Therion in the shoulder with his fist.

The thief stared at him for a moment before pushing away from the wall and strolling away, waving over his shoulder. "See you later, medicine man."

Finding things to pass the time was never too difficult for Alfyn. Since his medical supplies looked good for the time being he wandered around chatting with locals. It was a good way for him to find potential patients in his experience so far. 

It had been maybe half an hour tops when he felt someone tugging at his sleeve. Therion was back already- glancing nervously over his shoulder. "Hey, we need to go."

"Okay?" Alfyn started to follow. Looking him over, he was starting to notice hints on injuries on Therion's person. Parts of his poncho looked almost cinged, but something about it didn't quite look like it was from fire. He favored one foot over the other as he walked- subtle but there. "Are ya doin' alright?"

"I'll be fine once we're on the road." Therion picked up his pace, leading them towards the exit to town.

Well, so much for those drinks.

  
Alfyn looked back over his shoulder. He had lost sight of Noblecourt some time ago, as well as the circus that had been set up outside of town. "So, ah," he turned ahead again, trying to keep pace with Therion, "I take it things coulda gone better?"

Therion, at last, slowed his step. "...they could have, but they went well enough. I got what I needed."

"Oh, that's good." He looked the thief over with concern. "Why don't we take a break? You're injured."

Therion glanced his way, then back to the road. "It's nothing, I can keep going."

Alfyn frowned, usually he didn't mind Therion opting to treat himself but right now his injuries were worse than any he had sustained on the road. "It ain't about if ya can keep goin' or not. If you're in pain or got open wounds better we do somethin' now than have you suffer 'til later."

Therion adjusted his scarf, "...fine. It doesn't look like anyone is following us."

They managed to find a partially wooded area off the path with decent cover. Therion, after a long moment of hesitation, removed his scarf and poncho. It wasn't the first time Alfyn had gotten to see just how small he was under the layers; a loose low-cut shirt hanging off his tiny frame. He had a lithe, muscular build- suited for his agility and speed more than raw power. 

Alfyn made a concerned sound as he looked him over. His shirt and linen arm wraps covered most of them, but up close it was apparent Therion had quite a few scars. 

"It looks like ya got some burns here..." He lifted up Therion's shirt, looking at his back. The damage to his skin was far more severe than the damage to his clothing. "...ain't like any I've ever seen though. I don't wanna pry, but if you could tell me how you got injured I can treat ya better."

Therion had gone stiff as he was inspected, flinching if Alfyn's cold hands touched his skin. "I...got hit by some spells. Not aspected to any element I'm familiar with. Twisted my ankle."

"I see..." Alfyn pulled up his satchel and started digging around for the right salve. "I think I have something for magic-induced burns...ah!" He pulled out a jar of a salve he had mixed for himself a few days prior. It hadn't helped him- but it should be perfect for this. "I'll have ya patched up in no time."


	7. Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last couple of chapters have been slow but they're leading up to what's gonna happen NOW. That is a threat and/or promise.

The ruby dragonstone weighed heavy in Therion's pocket, the first key to his eventual freedom. Perhaps heavier still was the lingering memory of careful hands against his skin, the still present soothing balm on his wounds. It had been a long time since he had such close contact with another human being- that he _allowed_ himself to be so vulnerable.

Not that it _meant_ anything, he told himself, it had been necessity. Alfyn was an apothecary; he was simply doing his job. He told himself the same over and over, every time they stopped for the day and Alfyn helped him to change his bandages; treating burns he could not reach on his own and blessedly not saying a word about the scars that crossed his back where he was once battered by rocky cliffs. 

They had made it to Flamesgrace, booking a room at the local inn. Alfyn was in the process of wrapping Therion's swollen ankle with bandages. 

The apothecary frowned, tying the compress off. "That should do it, but honestly? It would be good for you to take a few days off it to let it heal."

"I don't have that kind of time." Therion stood, doing his best to hide his reaction to the pain. "The sooner I get this stone back to Boulderfall, the better."

Alfyn sighed, packing up his supplies. "I had a feelin' you'd say that."

Therion took a test walk around the room. The inn rooms of Flamesgrace were cozy, thick quilts on the beds and small hearths to warm the rooms. He sat back down, looking Alfyn over. Something was off about him lately. He was lethargic no matter how much sleep he got, dark circles forming under his eyes.

Maybe the desire for rest was for more than just Therion's benefit. For someone who worried so much about other people's health, Alfyn really needed to work on taking care of himself. 

"...if it's doctor's orders, though, I guess it would be okay to wait a few days." Therion turned, propping his foot up on the bed's pillows. 

Alfyn perked up. "Doctor's orders is right- so you better stay off that foot as much as ya can!" He reached over, tussling Therion's hair.

Therion swatted at the intrusion, "cut it out-" he rearranged his bangs back into place over his left eye as Alfyn chuckled. "I'm not making any promises."

"Alright, but the more ya take it easy the faster you'll heal up." Alfyn got to his feet, taking a moment to stretch out after being on the floor. "I'll be holed up here if ya ever need me. Think I'll work on studyin' and preparin' some plants while we got the time."

That was odd, usually Alfyn was excited to run around town and get to know the locals. Therion stared at the woodgrain of the ceiling above. "You're not good at hiding things, you know that?"

There was the sound of something hard hitting the desk and rolling. Therion looked over in time to see Alfyn scrambling to pick it back up. "Wha- uh-" he stammered, falling quiet. A beat passed. Was it his imagination, or was he shaking? "How...long have you known?"

Therion raised an eyebrow. "...you've been getting worse over the past week. Seems pretty clear you caught something." He watched the tension fade from his shoulders. Hu. "Why, what did you think I meant?"

Alfyn barked out a laugh, "well if it ain't what you thought after all I'm not about to say! Guess I'm good at hidin' some things." He rubbed at the back of his neck, flinched, then quickly lowered his hand.

Therion narrowed his eye. Alfyn tried to hide it under his collar, but there were hints of red on his neck like some sort of rash. Metal allergy- though, didn't that usually happen with cheaper metals? Therion prided himself on his keen eye and considered himself a professional at identifying metal even at a distance. Alfyn's necklace was old and tarnished- but the manner of the tarnish itself made him all the more certain that what he wore was genuine silver. 

But, whatever, he was no expert at what metals people could get rashes from. What he knew was that the thing was doing a number on Alfyn's neck, and the guy was either too stubborn or too sentimental to take the damn thing off. 

Therion took a moment to sit up and retrieve a pillow for his head. "You just keep telling yourself that, medicine man." He settled in for a nap. Illness, rashes, Alfyn was an apothecary. He'd sort himself out in time.

  
Alfyn cleared them to leave three days later. That suited Therion just fine. He had never been a fan of the cold, the chill settling into his joints and bones bringing on the pain of old wounds. Thankfully Alfyn had been supplying him with pain medication to help with his ankle- saving him the trouble of trying to ask for it. 

While Therion was eager to be back on the road, worry nagged at the back of his mind. Alfyn didn't look any better. He still looked just as haggard and stiff as when they first arrived. Even so he insisted he was good to travel and, well, Therion _did_ have a stone to deliver.

Damn it, why did things have to start getting complicated?

Not keen on camping among the snowy cliffs they set out at the crack of dawn, determined to keep going until they arrived in the next region. The sun had already set by the time the sloping, snowy ground gave way to greenery- the trees growing higher and denser until the treetops were obscured in low hanging mist. 

It was exhausting, but somehow they still managed to scrape together a campsite and get a fire going. There was still a chill to the air, just enough that Therion did not complain when Alfyn scooted closer to him to sit side by side.

"Here-" Alfyn held out half of a blanket that he presently had draped over his shoulders. "Should be big enough to share. Are ya cold?"

Therion glanced over, catching Alfyn's earnest look lit by the firelight. Why did he have to look at him like that? His eyes went between his face and the blanket, all the while the chill of the cold wind of the nearby Frostlands nipped at his back. 

It didn't _mean_ anything. Generosity was in Alfyn's nature- he offered to share just about anything for as long as Therion had known him. That didn't make it less embarrassing, or calm the fluttering feeling in his stomach. He huffed, wordlessly taking the offered blanket and wrapping it over his shoulder. Nobody was around to see. Somehow that made the fluttering feeling worse.

Therion wrinkled his nose. "Either you or the blanket needs a wash." It was like the smell back in Alfyn's home- did that idiot bring along a dog blanket?

"Hey now, it's not-" Alfyn gave the blanket a sniff. "That bad? Shucks maybe I'm just used to it. I'll do some laundry next time we're in town."

The fire crackled before them, the night was calm and filled with the chirps and croaks of bugs and frogs and the occasional hooting of an owl. Therion strained his ears. As much as his surroundings tried to lull him into a sense of security, they needed to remain on guard. This was uncharted territory for both of them- who knew what sort of monsters lurked in the dark.

A distant howl pierced the night- causing Therion to flinch. He looked over his shoulder, trying to pinpoint the direction it came from. "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah. A wolf." Alfyn got a distant look on his face, "sounds pretty lonely, doesn't it?"

Therion huffed. "Concerning, maybe. We better hope it doesn't come our way."

"Hmm." The quiet returned, Alfyn added another branch to the fire. "Sounded pretty far off, think we'll be good. Ya got experience with wolves?"

"Not really," he shrugged, pulling the blanket a little tighter over his shoulder. "But I've had run-ins with guard dogs. Know the damage they can do. Wolves are pretty much dogs but bigger. I'd rather avoid them if we can."

"Ah, I see." Alfyn adjusted his side of the blanket. "We don't really have wolves back home. Think sometimes we'll get a stray one that wanders down from the north? They tend to be the mean ones too. We got one when I was younger, jumped me and Zeph in th' woods. Zeph drove it off but damn if it ain't an experience I'd want t' repeat."

Therion looked Alfyn over. "Really, your friend drove it off. I would have guessed you did the fighting, you look stronger than anyone else back in your town." 

Alfyn chuckled, scratching at his face with his free hand. "Well, I was busy tryin' not to get my face eaten. When th' wolf was busy tryin' to maul me, Zeph came up with his hatchet and BAM-" he gestured with his hand towards his face "he hit that bastard right in the eye!"

Therion leaned back to avoid any accidental hit. "Damn. Better hope it doesn't come looking for revenge."

"Eh, folks say animals don't care about stuff like that. Though..." He leaned in, hushing his voice to a whisper, "I don't think that's true of chickens. There's a rooster back home...hooboy I tell ya he wants me dead."

Therion snorted, gently pushing Alfyn's face away. "I'd call bullshit but considering it's _you_ , yeah I'd believe it." 

  
In time Alfyn excused himself, retiring to his bedroll while Therion took the first watch. He watched the apothecary toss and turn, trying to get comfortable. Early on in their journey he didn't seem to have much trouble falling asleep. But, then again, back then he wasn't plagued by his mystery illness or surely painful rash on his throat.

It was frustrating. On one hand, okay as the apothecary he should know how to handle things like that. But surely, surely, it would be best to take the offending object off until the rash went away? 

"Hey," Therion spoke up. Alfyn wasn't asleep yet, and he wanted to get to the bottom of this. "Why do you keep wearing that necklace? You've been having a pretty bad reaction to it."

"...nothing gets past you, does it?" Alfyn rolled over on his back, hand going to his locket. "I. I can't take it off."

Couldn't take it off? Therion narrowed his eye, "what exactly do you mean by that?"

"I, uh," He watched him fidget, pulling his blanket up to his chin. "...it's embarrassin', the...the clasp is stuck." With that he turned over so his back was to Therion. "I can treat it with salve, it's fine, ya don't gotta worry about it."

Alfyn was a horrible liar. The tone of his voice, the way he avoided looking in his direction, the increased restlessness of his hands all made him an open book. It was strange, he was hiding something from him, but what? What was it about that locket that was so important? 

Therion relented, huddling into the dog-smelling blanket to ward off the chill for his watch. Let him keep his secrets, it wasn't any of his business. It didn't matter if he had some sort of secret lover back home or something- or that part of his heart felt like it might break at the thought. 

No, that didn't matter, but the fact Alfyn was in some sort of self-destructive spiral over it did. He looked back at his dimly lit form, the slow rise and fall of his breathing letting him know he had finally dozed off. He probably wouldn't even notice he wasn't still wearing it if he, say, slipped it off and hid it at the bottom of his satchel. By the time he turned it up again the rash would, hopefully, be healed up. Maybe then he could get a decent night's sleep again.

His mind made up Therion stood, dropping the blanket and slinking silently over to where Alfyn was asleep. The fact he had opted to stay on his side meant the clasp was within easy reach. It released effortlessly- Therion expected as much. He slipped the chain away, pausing for a moment when Alfyn made a soft sound before curling up tighter in his sleep. 

_Easy_. Therion let out the breath he was holding, pulling his hand and the necklace back.

Alfyn jolted awake, gasping for air. Therion startled backwards, hiding the necklace beneath his mantle on instinct. This was still salvageable- he just had to move away before he was seen-

The change happened fast. He blinked and Alfyn's huddled form was replaced by something much larger. Hairier. The sound of his gasping breaths replaced with heavy panting.

Therion felt his foot hit a root, slipping out from under him and landing him on his ass. His heart pounded in his chest as the massive form rose, turning his way- firelight reflecting in the wide eyes of a beast. It was like something out of a nightmare- but dreams didn't feel like this. The cold of the night air, the dry feeling in his mouth and throat, the sting on his rear, and the feel and smell of the creature's warm breath were all too real. 

He swallowed the lump in his throat, that- that _thing_ couldn't possibly be- and yet he couldn't fathom any other explanation. Not after what he had just seen. He spoke cautiously, voice nary a whisper, "A... Alfyn?"

The monster ran, vanishing into the dark woods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing a werewolf fic and we finally have doggy time... 7 chapters in. Awooooo.


	8. Seeking Help

Alfyn didn't know what was happening.

He was asleep one moment, the next he was slammed by such a rush of sensation and energy that he felt his head and heart might burst. The formerly pleasant ambiance of the forest morphed to a horrible din- the faint smell of smoke making him choke as countless animal and monster trails flooded into notice. He gulped in breaths, but no amount eased the mounting panic in his mind- it was too much- _too much!_

He doubled over, paws supporting his weight. No, that was...wrong? When had he transformed? He needed to change back, before Therion could notice-

But he couldn't. The energy rippling through his limbs to a deep hunger gripping his stomach would not allow him. He needed to run, to hunt, to- _no_ , no he needed to change back! But he could not- **could not-**

A rustle of dried plant matter on the forest floor drew his attention. Therion was right there next to him, lone eye wide in terror at what was before him. 

It was too late. He _knew_.

Alfyn started running. Somewhere, anywhere- it didn't matter anymore. If he could no longer change back the woods would have to be his new home, for however long he could avoid the hunters.

The night was quiet, save for the gentle crackle of the campfire. Therion stared at the empty bedroll of his traveling companion. The beast he had turned into moved so fast he felt he had all but blinked before the sound of running trailed off into the night.

He gripped at the necklace still in his hand. This...was this his doing? If not it was one hell of a coincidence. Monster or not, would Alfyn even be able to hold his own in unfamiliar territory?

Therion scrambled to his feet, then paused. He wanted to follow- to shout his name until by some miracle his friend came back to him- but his well trained voice of reason made him stop. What would he do if something else was drawn by his shouting, if he got lost and injured away from the path, the campsite, and all their supplies? He couldn't save Alfyn if he was incapacitated.

It felt so wrong to leave him, but, if he wanted to find Alfyn without putting himself in danger he needed someone who knew the area. Therion returned to his spot by the fire, reluctantly picking up the blanket Alfyn had so graciously shared with him a short while ago. Luckily he had trained himself to be a light sleeper over years of sleeping in less than secure locations, assuming he would get to sleep at all.

Therion stared at the empty bedroll, letting out a defeated sigh. "Damnit, Alfyn..." he pulled the necklace back out, the dangling pendant spinning to catch the firelight, "what are you?"

  
Traveling alone again was rough. Part of it was not having someone to back him up when encountering monsters- struggling to evade encounters carry both his supplies and Alfyn's. The rest... Therion had grown to enjoy the company as well. Pathetic, since when did he need anybody, this sort of scenario was why he should keep people at a distance in the first place.

Okay, granted, watching them turn into a monster and run off into the woods wasn't something he ever would have _expected_ to happen. It was something out of a storybook. A fairytale with some sort of moral or lesson to be learned when everything fell apart. In such a tale this turn of events would be his punishment for stealing from his friend, or not trusting him. He had done it out of concern for Alfyn's wellbeing, or was that a lie he was telling himself to feel better?

Therion shook those thoughts from his head. Dwelling on what he could have done and kicking himself for what he did was getting him nowhere. He needed to press forward to the next town. S'warkii was supposed to be a small community of hunters- if he was to find someone who knew their way around the woods, it was there.

The path became wider and more well worn until it intersected at a clearing- a signpost nestled among some small plants at the center. It was a crossroad, and a well traveled one at that- Therion was near civilization. 

S'warkii came into view through the trees. At first there would be a cabin here, a small station for woodcutting there, but soon the plants grew less dense and buildings more numerous. It was a small settlement, though it clearly saw more visitors than a backwater place like Clearbrook. A few children ran in the square, chasing after each other with sticks in hand. A lazy looking old dog lounged outside the supply shop among the displays of hanging herbs and curing hides. 

He passed a few promising groups of young hunters practicing with their bows and chatting. The local dialect was unlike any he had ever heard before- gods they spoke like people from an old storybook. How did this happen. How was this his life now. How did he get out of fairytale land and back to traveling with a softhearted bumpkin across the continent.

The more he listened, the more he began to have second thoughts about looking for a hunter to aid him. They spoke of monsters they killed, of encounters where they narrowly escaped, of ' _oh yeah remember how so-and-so got killed by one of those_ '-

Therion didn't know if Alfyn would be man or beast if- when- he found him again. Would these people hurt him if he was the latter? What would he even tell them he was looking for? 

His stomach rumbled, his limbs ached, he needed to rest and eat and think this whole mess over.

  
Once he rented a room at the inn he was able to lighten his load considerably, leaving the traveling packs and Alfyn's satchel behind in the room. That done Therion made his way to the tavern for food and a much, _much_ needed drink. 

He was on his second mug, tucked into an out-of-the-way corner, when a boisterous group entered the tavern. The first one he noticed was the girl- a merchant's feathered hat nestled upon her messy brown hair and a large backpack jingling behind her. She was just on the edge of being too loud, which was enough to irritate Therion's forming headache. She gestured widely as she spoke to a man who would look more at home back in Noblecourt than he did in a woodland town like this- a fancy, billowing coat hanging from his shoulders like a cape and long black hair carefully combed back into a ponytail. 

Tagging along with them was a young woman in clerical robes. She smiled at whatever the girl playing merchant was talking about, tucking her long blonde hair back behind her ear. Odd to see a sister of the flame in these parts, Therion didn't remember seeing even a small chapel when looking around town. 

The fourth person to enter Therion might have guessed was an unaffiliated local, if not for the fact she followed after the trio of travelers. Light, almost pink hair braided back into a long tail, a few feathers sticking out of the tie at the end. The woman was tall, muscular, and dressed in hunter's furs.

The group was an odd assortment as it was, but Therion about choked on his drink when a large cat- easily the size of a medium size dog- pushed through the closing door to walk side by side with the huntress. The other locals didn't even blink at the monster's appearance, and upon a second look he noted feathers woven into its spotted, white fur. A pet?

Well, if this huntress kept company with a beast, maybe there was some hope for his search after all. He watched the group as they got settled, considering how to best approach them. None of them ordered drinks- nothing alcoholic at least- so that was out. He'd have to play it by ear.

As the group was situated on the opposite side of the room, Therion relocated himself to the bar to better listen in on their conversation. If he was going to trust any of them enough to help him with...whatever was going on with Alfyn, he needed to better gauge just what sort of people he was dealing with. 

It seemed to be the general fare of exchanging stories of where they had been so far. He gathered that the young merchant and scholar (addressed as Tressa and Cyrus) had been traveling westward on their way towards Quarrycrest. The cleric- Ophelia- had joined them in Flamesgrace and was on an important pilgrimage for the church. 

Actually, if Cyrus was a mage then maybe he could give him some insight into what might have happened... if his mild headache could tolerate talking with him.

The huntress- H'aanit- seemed to be debating joining the group herself. It sounded like they had already helped her hunt down...something. Therion didn't know what a ghisarma was- but considering it apparently had been wrecking havoc in the forest for at least several days he was confident that it wasn't Alfyn. She had a quest of her own, seeking out her mentor who went missing months ago on a hunt. Apparently he had an animal companion as well- one that had returned without its master in tow.

At any rate, if he was going to get help from them he needed to act, because they didn't sound like they planned to stick around. Therion made his way towards their table casually, making sure the fool's bangle was tucked safely out of sight. He needed to make a good impression.

A soft growl came from under the table as he got close, the large cat poking its head out to sniff at his poncho. Therion froze, he had assumed the beast was tame- but if that wasn't the case he had just walked into trouble.

The cat chuffed, butting its head against him. Well, he understood that gesture well enough from his own encounters with strays. He relaxed, content he wasn't in immediate danger of being mauled.

The exchange caught H'aanit's attention. She looked him over with eyes narrowed in suspicion- and really, Therion couldn't fault her for that. "Doth thee have business with our group?"

He got the feeling that she had little patience for idle conversation or flattery. Therion nodded, "I might. Mind if I join you?"

"T'would seem Linde finds thee trustworthy." H'aanit motioned to an empty space at the table. "I shall listen to thy plight."

"Much obliged." He settled in between Cyrus and Ophelia, drumming his fingers on the table. "I won't mince words here. My friend has gone missing in the woods, and I require help tracking him down."

H'aanit nodded, "we couldst inform the headman. Searching for lost travelers is a common task for the huntsmen of the village."

"I appreciate the offer, but," Therion leaned in, dropping his voice to lower the chances of being overheard. "I'm afraid my problem is anything but common."

"Oh?" Cyrus chimed in with interest. "However so?"

"Well, I suspect he may have been cursed in some manner." He pulled Alfyn's necklace from his pocket, holding it towards the scholar. "He had been wearing this since I met him. Something about it caused him discomfort- but he refused to take it off. Said it was a gift."

Cyrus took the necklace, turning the locket over in his hands. "Interesting, well, I can tell you right away there are no enchantments upon this piece of jewelry..." He popped open the locket, making an intrigued sound. "How curious- it is empty. Usually such a pendant would contain a memento of some sort of importance to the owner. This is the same necklace your friend had been wearing?"

Therion nodded. "Positive." If it really had just been a metal allergy, then why the hell did Alfyn turn into a monster the moment it came off? 

Tressa leaned over to look as well. "I don't see what a tarnished bit of silver has to do with your friend going missing?"

"Yes, that is a good question." Cyrus closed the locket and handed the necklace back. "I would hypothesize that your suspected curse was tied to the disappearance?"

Therion sighed, taking the necklace and tucking it back safely within his mantel. "I'll get to that, but first? Before I say anything else... this doesn't leave this table, and I don't want anyone trying to kill him."

There was a long pause, Tressa was the first to speak up. "You're not up to anything _illegal_ , are you? Because if you are I'm not making any promises to a crook."

"I wouldn't expect you to." He wouldn't have given this group a second look if that was the case, after all. "And if you don't like what you hear, I won't stop you from walking away."

Tressa hummed, crossing her arms. "Alright, fine."

The others nodded in turn. Well, good, he had their word- for however much words were really worth. With one last glance around to check if anyone else was listening he leaned in once more. "If it's not a curse, I don't know what else it could be, because last night my friend turned into a monster."


	9. Hunt

"This is some sort of joke, right?" Tressa was shooting him an unamused look. "Like, folks don't just turn into monsters, that's not a thing that happens."

Therion wished that could be the case. "I can't blame you for not believing me, I wouldn't believe it myself if it hadn't happened right in front of me."

The others at the table had gone quiet. Cyrus and H'aanit looked to be deep in thought.

"Oh, I'm so sorry-" Ophilia placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, which Therion shrugged off on reflex. What was with that tone? Why was she talking like he just told her someone had died?

He crossed his arms under his poncho. "He's only been missing since last night, and he can handle himself well in a fight. I'm sure he's alive-"

"If what I, and it seems Ophilia, suspect is true..." Cyrus frowned, "then I fear the man you did know may be gone."

No, no that couldn't be right. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Therion did his best to keep his voice down, but there was still an edge to his words. Alfyn couldn't be gone- right? He couldn't know, part of him didn't want to.

Cyrus held up a hand, "we do not have much information to go off of, however, if we consider what we do know: We know that the chain your friend wore caused him some form of distress. That the chain itself is composed of silver and carries no magical augmentation. You claim your friend refused to ever remove it, that you now carry it I hypothesize that it came off recently. Perhaps right before your friend's transformation."

Therion looked down at the grain of the table. "Is this going somewhere?" The guy was just spouting out stuff he already knew. Just get to the point already.

"You see, your friend is cursed, but not by the necklace." Cyrus continued. "The silver, while not enchanted itself, can interact with magic. Charms of the metal are believed to protect from malicious spells, and indeed can block the flow of some kinds of magic. This suppressed your friend's curse until the moment the necklace was removed."

Therion rubbed at his temples. This guy talked way too much for his liking. "And the curse?"

"Tis an olde affliction, the Hounds of Dreafendi they were once called." H'aanit looked his way, expression unreadable. "Thy friend is a werewolf. The Knight Ardante haft hired mine master to slay such beasts in the past. Oft the beast takens over and they liven in the wilderness, avoiding people. Tis the vices of men that make them a danger."

"Oh?" Cyrus tilted his head. "I was under the impression they lost their humanity, is that not the case?"

"I was under that impression as well," Ophilia added, "the way the knights tell their stories, once a person turns the monster is aggressive and deadly."

Good gods Therion was going to get whiplash from all of this. Werewolf, losing his humanity, a dangerous kind of monster that was hunted by the holy knights themselves- it was a lot to take in. "He's not aggressive, the first thing he did after he turned was run away."

H'aanit nodded, "some sayen the curse was a gift from Draefendi herself. A manner for hunters tired of the realm of man to join her realm as beasts. Creatures wish but to liven their lives, most avoiden humans. A wolf's nature is that of a hunter, a provider, they seeken but to care for their families. To killen for sport, for hate, with no regards for the life they taken, these are the vices of men. Men who wouldst don the guise of a beast to avoiden the consequences of thine actions." She turned her attention to Cyrus, "to turnen needen not be a sentence to death."

Therion lifted his head. "...so if I'm understanding right, you're _not_ going to go blabbing about this to the church?"

Ophilia shifted in her seat. "We did promise, did we not?"

"Aye," the huntress moved to stand, "I shall helpen thee on this quest. We shall depart on the morrow. If thou can, bringen a belonging of thine companion. Cloth. Mayhap Hagan will helpen us track by scent."

Sleep did not come easy to Therion that night. That wasn't exactly new, but the anxieties and guilt that haunted him were. Visions of hulking shadows with reflective eyes, looming over him and jolting him awake. By the time dawn began lightening the sky out his window, he gave up on getting any more rest and set to preparing for the day.

A walk around town might help him to clear his head, anyway. 

Ultimately Therion was still the first to arrive at the agreed meeting spot. There had not been much ground for him to cover on his walk- unless he ventured into the woods, which sounded like a horrible idea. He gripped at Alfyn's satchel, which he had slung over his shoulder before leaving. It felt like the best option for something to track him by.

Once they met up Therion had to lead them back to where he had initially camped. It had been over a day now since he last saw Alfyn, he could only hope the trail was still followable. The walk back already felt like it would be just as long and lonesome as his trip to town. He had company, sure, but willingness to help aside the people around him were still strangers.

Tressa trotted up to keep pace at his side. "Say, Therion?"

He glanced her way, already feeling too tired to answer. He wasn't here to make conversation, and even with H'aanit's keen senses he still felt he needed to stay alert for any monsters.

The brief eye contact was enough for Tressa to press on. "I was just wondering, what's your friend like?"

Therion slowed his pace. He wasn't really in the mood to talk, but... "His name is Alfyn, and he's an apothecary." Though, they could probably tell as much by the satchel he brought along. The style of bag was synonymous with those of the profession. "He's tall and has a few muscles on him- with hair that looks like it's never seen a comb."

"What, like yours?" There was an amused lilt to Tressa's voice.

Therion shot her a tired glare, "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." He turned his attention back to the path. "He's the most generous guy I've ever met. Gentle and softhearted...he's well suited for his profession."

Tressa made a sad sound, "you really miss him, don't you."

Alright, that was enough talking. Therion picked up his pace again.

Once they had found the area near where the campsite had been, Hagan was able to pick up a trail. They followed the direwolf off the path into the woods, weaving through the undergrowth and ducking under the branches of smaller trees. Along the way H'aanit would point out signs they were on the right track. How the grasses were folded over from where he had stopped to rest, a massive pawprint left in a patch of soft dirt. (Larger even than Hagan's- just how big was Alfyn's new form?)

H'aanit held up a hand, motioning for the group to stop again. "He hunted here." She pointed over at some unassuming plants in the path. "Droplets of blood, nary a sign of struggle- twas a quick kill. There are more this way, from the folded plants and trail in the leaves he draggened his prize."

Therion was able to make out the details as he got closer- it was subtle and easy to miss among the already busy surroundings of the wilderness. The dragging trail was far more obvious. A sense of unease settled into his gut; it was hard for him to picture Alfyn actually hunting down and _killing_ something. Even when they had to fight off monsters on the road he always tried to scare them off more than leave mortal wounds. Guy struck him as the sort to cry if he ever had to butcher an animal.

The group came upon a small grove, an open space where a large tree had fallen some time ago. Up against the trunk, at the end of the dragging trail, was what was left of what was just barely recognizable as a deer.

Ophilia gasped as Tressa let out a quiet "eeeeew." Therion agreed, but he wasn't about to let them know.

"Hmm," H'aanit moved closer, "the bones haft been chewed with crushing force. This kill is freshe- from the morn I wouldst guess."

Cyrus ventured closer for a better look as well, "fascinating, how are you able to gauge the age of the corpse?"

Before H'aanit could respond Hagan growled to get her attention. The direwolf stood on top of the fallen tree, heading towards the clump of forest floor lifted up along with the tree's roots. H'aanit motioned for the group to be quiet before climbing up on the log herself, following after Hagan with Linde hot on her heels. Therion noticed that, much as he could glide with nary a sound within cities and buildings, the huntress could flow unabated over the uneven forest landscape. 

From what he could see the method wasn't so different, it was the nature of the ground they stepped that needed to be adjusted for. Therion climbed up, balancing carefully upon the rough, rounded surface of the log before following. 

H'aanit peered around the wall of earth and roots, one hand on her bow. She moved back and turned, eyes widening in surprise when she spotted Therion. She remained quiet, stepping aside and tilting her head to tell him to look for himself.

Therion took a deep breath, bracing for what he might see on the other side of the dirt wall. He stepped up, inching forward to peer around.

In the silence he could make out a faint snore. Sprawled out sideways was by far the largest wolf he had ever seen, fur the same straw color as Alfyn's hair. Seeing him in the daylight was far different than the hulking dark form he had seen the night he had turned. The sight didn't so much invoke 'monster' as it did 'fat, lazy dog'. The wolf whimpered in its sleep, paw twitching.

He let out his held breath, keeping his voice soft. "Well, it _sleeps_ like him."

H'aanit nodded, "beasts oft needen rest after a successful hunt and large meal."

"Yeah, people do too." Therion had seen it himself, the wealthy gorging themselves then being dead to the world as they slept it off. Alfyn hadn't been eating much before, seemed he got his apatite back.

Well, they had found him, now what? Was it safe for them to try to wake him up?

There was a shout from the rest of the group, drawing their attention in time to see that Tressa had tried, and failed, to climb up on the log as well. Therion shot her an annoyed look as Cyrus and Ophilia helped her back up. Lucky for them Alfyn was such a heavy sleeper-

Or rather, he _usually_ was. A low growl started to build from behind the dirt wall, the sound sending goosebumps down Therion's spine. He glanced over at H'aanit, who had already pulled out her bow. 

" _Wait-_ " Therion spoke first to H'aanit before sliding off the log and peering cautiously around the dirt wall again.

The wolf was still laying down, but had rolled over onto his belly. His ears were folded back, nose twitching as it sniffed at the air. Looking around nervously until those wide, dark eyes landed on him.

The wolf scrambled to his feet.

"Wait-!" Therion called out as the wolf turned and started to run. "Alfyn!" This time he made to follow, sprinting off into the undergrowth following the crashing sounds of paws cracking fallen branches and leaves.

One problem there was with the forest was the uneven ground. Roots and stones created peaks and valleys of easy to trip on pits, but worse still were the larger dips- dry creek beds obscured by plants and leaves. Unlike the open Cliftlands the creeks here seemed to spring out of nowhere.

And spring from nowhere, Therion swears, one did- as he broke through the undergrowth and found his foot hitting air. He swore, tumbling down the steep, slippery slope of dead plant matter and mud. Feeling defeated, he pushed himself over into a sitting position, staring up as he combed a hand through his hair to catch dead leaves and twigs.

Damn it all. He should have considered that Alfyn might not even _want_ to come back. Not after Therion had uncovered his secret. 

Would he really be happy, though? What about his goal, of traveling the world helping people? Would he give up on his dreams over this? 

"Damn it." Therion fell back into the damp leaves. He had really screwed things up, hadn't he?

He heard a rustling of approaching footsteps, followed by a whine as wolf-Alfyn poked his head over the edge to look down at him.

All that running away and he was still worried about him? Therion sighed, "I'm fine."

He pushed himself back up into a seated position. Therion felt shaken and a bit soggy, but the fall didn't seem to leave any injuries. "...I'm...sorry. I took the necklace." Might as well come clean, if Alfyn hadn't figured it out already. "I wanted you to start feeling better but instead... this happened." He adjusted Alfyn's satchel at his shoulder. Hopefully nothing in there broke in the fall. "If you're really set on living in the woods, fine, I'll stop chasing you."

Wolf-Alfyn disappeared, and Therion thought that was it. That was the last he would ever see of his friend. Instead there was a shuffling before the massive creature attempted to jump down into the shallow creek. 

Having such a large wolf land so near him was enough to make Therion's heart about burst from his chest. He flinched away on reflex, which prompted another whine from Alfyn.

Therion let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "It's fine." He stood, dusting himself off. "So...how does this work? Can you change back?"

Wolf-Alfyn made a pitiful sounding half-bark, shaking his head. It was surreal to see an animal make such a human gesture, but at least Therion knew he could still understand him.

Well, that was a problem. He couldn't just walk into town with a massive wolf. Well, okay, maybe he _could_ considering H'aanit had a direwolf and snow leopard with her already- but Alfyn thrived on talking to and helping people. With his current form he wouldn't be able to do much of either. 

"Do you..." Therion pulled the silver necklace from his pocket, Alfyn perked up at the sight of it. "Do you need _this_ to be human?"

He held the necklace out to Alfyn. There was no way the thing would fit around his neck currently. With any luck Alfyn knew what to do with it.

Alfyn lifted a paw, setting it gently onto Therion's outstretched hand. There was a pause, Alfyn went tense with his fur standing on end, until he yelped and pulled his paw back. He stumbled back, panting before sitting and licking at his paw.

"Alfyn?!" Therion looked down at the necklace, then up at his friend. It had hurt him? He stuffed the offending object back in his pocket and stepped forward. "...let me see."

Alfyn whined, stopping his licking and holding his injured paw out towards Therion. It was slightly larger than his hand, pads rough but soft and warm. His leg wouldn't turn like a human arm would, so to get a look he would have to do some maneuvering. Therion found himself up against wolf-Alfyn's side, acutely aware of the wall of warm fur next to him. 

Getting a look at the paw pad, it was as though the chain had been red hot. An angry brand was left along what would be the palm of a hand, a clear outline of the chain and locket. And yet, something about the injury was _off_. There was only damage in places the silver had touched, whereas heat would have blistered the surrounding area.

Therion hissed, drawing in air through clenched teeth. That looked painful. "Idiot, if it hurt so much why did you wait to pull away?"

Alfyn made another pitiful sound and Therion shook his head. He had an idea as to why: desperation. Alfyn wanted to be human again.

"Here, hold still." Therion pulled up Alfyn's satchel, digging through for the right jar. He knew what the basic healing balm looked like, at least.

There was a rustling of leaves from above. Alfyn looked up then stood, pulling back his paw as he began to growl. Whatever was above responded with a growl of its own.

What now? Therion looked up, hand going to his blade until he saw what was now looking down on them- familiar spotted white fur that stood out in the dark forest backdrop. H'aanit appeared but a moment later, bow drawn with an arrow already notched. Her appearance caused Alfyn's growling to intensify as he backed up against the wall of the creek.

Being so close, Therion could feel the rumble of the growling through Alfyn's side. He wanted to think Alfyn wouldn't hurt him, but in that moment the side of him that had too many close calls with vicious guard dogs was screaming. 

The huntress lowered her bow, "calm, Linde."

Linde stopped growling, but kept her gaze intent upon the still vocal Alfyn.

"Appologies, we wouldst haft holden back," H'aanit replaced her arrow into her quiver, "thine cry of distress called us forth."

Alfyn relaxed at his side and Therion took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He placed a tentative hand on Alfyn's shoulder. His fur was surprisingly soft and dense, he had a feeling that if he kept pushing he could lose his entire hand in there. "She's a friend. It's thanks to her I was able to find you."

Wait, shoot, no, why did he use that word? He had just met H'aanit after all. Alfyn turned his head to stare wide-eyed at him, and good gods Therion never thought he would see a dog look at him with a sense of disbelief but here they were. 

Therion tugged up on his scarf. "He has an injury, we'll join you and the others once I bandage him up."

H'aanit nodded, "if thou needest assistance thou need only call for aid." She whistled for Linde, the two turning and disappearing from the edge of the creek.

Alfyn was still staring at him. Therion frowned back. " _What?_ "

Wolf-Alfyn let out a small woof, behind him his tail began rustling back and forth in the leaves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alfyn: OwO You made FRIENDS?!


End file.
